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At 2.4% of the market, the job vacancy rate in the CFIB survey remains higher than levels seen just following the recession, but lower than the 2.8% pre-recession peak in late 2007 and early 2008, when the unemployment rate stood near six per cent.

July saw the jobless rate rise one-tenth of a point to 7.2% as the economy shed 39,000 workers.

The small business lobby group released the survey results in advance of a “Twitter chat” scheduled for Thursday afternoon with Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney.

The federal government, with support from business groups, have argued Canada faces an imminent labour shortage, requiring changes to employment insurance.

In the March budget, the government also pledged to create a jobs grant program whereby Ottawa, the provinces and businesses share equally — up to a total of $15,000 — in the cost of training a worker for an unfilled job.

The so-called “job grant” has been opposed by some provinces as ill-thought-out and an intrusion on their jurisdiction.